2019 OSCARS

Adam Lambert opened the 2019 Oscars live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with a performance of Bohemian Rhapsody in honor of Queen and the Best Movie Nominee. He followed it with We Are the Champions.

Maya Rudolph and Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler presented the first category of the evening, Outstanding Supporting Actress. The ladies let us know that there will be no host of the Oscars this year and Mexico is not paying for the wall.

Regina King won the Oscar for Outstanding Supporting Actress for If Beale Street Could Talk. She said, “It’s a little surreal” and credited James Baldwin for birthing the story. She thanked her mother in the audience, “I love you so much” and ended her speech with, “God is good all the time.”

Helen Mirren and Jason Momoa were the next presenters for Best Documentary Feature, and the 2019 Oscar went to Free Solo. Elsie Fisher and Stephan James presented the next category, Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling. The 2109 Oscar went to Vice.

Melissa McCarthy presented the nominees for Costume Design and the audience couldn’t stop laughing at her elaborate Alice in Wonderland looking costume. The 2019 Oscar went to Ruth E. Carter for Black Panther. It was a challenge for her to reach the stage, but once she did, she said “Wow, I got it.” She began with thanks to the Academy and Ryan Coogler. She thanked Spike Lee for her start, and he stood in the audience to acknowledge her shout out. Carter is the first African American to be nominated in this category. She read her emotional speech and it had her and the audience in tears. She ended with, “I did my best, and my best is good enough”

Jennifer Lopez and Chris Evans were next with the nominees for Achievement in Production Design. The 2019 Oscar went to Hannah Beachler for Black Panther. Hannah Beachler is also the first African American to win in this category. Beachler also thanked director Ryan Coogler for creating the groundbreaking Marvel film and for believing in her ability to bring Black Panther to life.

Tyler Perry presented the nominees for Achievement in Cinematography, and the 2019 Oscar went to Alfonso Cuaron for Roma. His third Oscar and tenth nomination.

Jennifer Hudson sang the Oscar nominated song, I’ll Fight from Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s documentary.

The category for Sound Editing was next, and the 2019 Oscar went to Bohemian Rhapsody. Sound Mixing followed and Bohemian Rhapsody took that Oscar as well.

Angela Bassett and Javier Bardem presented the nominees for Best Foreign Language Film, and the 2019 Oscar went to Roma.

Keegan-Michael Key made a big entrance at the 2019 Oscars. He dropped in from the ceiling carrying an umbrella to introduce Mary Poppins Return and the Divine Miss M., Bette Midler who sang The Place Where Lost Things Go from Mary Poppins Returns.

Michael Keaton presented the nominees for Achievement in Film Editing, and the 2019 Oscar went to John Ottman for Bohemian Rhapsody. He ended his acceptance speech with, “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds. Thank you.”

The 2019 Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role went to Mahershala Ali for Green Book. He thanked his partner in the film Viggo Mortensen, director Peter Farrelly and Octavia Spencer. He dedicated the award to his grandmother who told him he could do anything he put his mind to and he won’t be there without her. He also thanked his wife and daughter who were in the audience.

The 2018 Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film went to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey resurrected their SNL characters due to their history with the song Bohemian Rhapsody to highlight the film

The 2019 Oscar for Best Animated Short went to Bao, and Best Documentary Short Subject went Period. End of Sentence. Achievement in Visual Effects was next, and the 2109 Oscar went to First Man.

Lady Gaga and Brady Cooper took the stage to perform their Oscar–nominated song, Shallow from A Star is Born. The audience gave them a standing ovation. Gaga was thrilled.

Best Live Action Short Film category followed, and the Oscar went to Skin.

Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson were the next presenters. The category Original Screenplay. The Oscar went to Green Book.

Best Adapted Screenplay followed, and the Oscar went to BlacKkKlansman, Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee. Spike Lee jumped on Samuel L. and hugged him like he was a tree. Spike was thrilled and covered a lot in his acceptance speech and ended with a reference to the 2020 vote, “Make the moral choice between love verse hate. Do the right thing.”

Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson presented the nominees for Best Original Score. The 2019 Oscar went to Ludwig Goransson for Black Panther.

Chadwick Boseman was the next presenter for Best Original Song. The 2019 Oscar went to Lady Gaga. She got it! She immediately broke out in tears. “Thank you so much to the Academy for this wonderful honor.” She thanked Brady Cooper and said, “Thank you for believing in us.”

John Bailey the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented the In Memoriam segment in honor of the talent lost in the past year. Many remembered this year were from behind the camera.

Barbara Streisand came out to a standing ovation. She was there to introduce highlights from BlacKkKlansman. The audience didn’t give her a chance to speak over the applause. She said she was stunned and moved by BlacKkKlansman, and said she got a nice thank you from Spike Lee after she tweeted about it. Spike stood in the audience and cheered.

The 2019 Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role went to Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody. He thanked his family and everyone who had a hand in getting him there. “I may not have been the obvious choice but I guess it worked out.

U.S. Representative and civil rights leader, John Lewis spoke of racism and the scars it left behind in his life as he introduced highlights from the movie Green Book.

The 2019 Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role went to Olivia Colman for The Favourite. “It’s genuinely quite stressful. This is hilarious.” Her speech was funny and entertaining.

The 2019 Achievement in Directing Oscar went Alfonso Cuaròn for Roma. This is his fourth Oscar and his second win during these awards.

Julia Roberts presented the nominees for Best Picture. The 2019 Oscar went to Green Book. It took three Oscars.

It was a very special night for Regina King, Mahershala Ali, Spike Lee, Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody and Roma.

Congratulations to all the winners! See you next year.

Tanya Hart

AURN.COM

Click here to listen to my podcast with Spike Lee backstage at the 2019 Oscars.